The National Forest Foundation (NFF), chartered by Congress, engages America in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 192 million acre National Forest System, and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.  NFF is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to safeguarding our National Forests and Grasslands by building action-oriented partnerships that result in lasting conservation.  The NFF believes that communities should play a significant role in determining the future of National Forests and Grasslands.  By matching federal funds (provided under a cooperative agreement with the Forest Service) to non-federal dollars, the NFF is able to effectively double the resources available to nonprofit partners to implement projects that directly benefit our National Forests and Grasslands.

A common thread connecting all of NFF’s programs is an interest in action-oriented projects that enhance natural resources while considering benefits to, and the involvement of, surrounding communities. 

During the 2005 Centennial Year Challenge (CYC), the NFF will concentrate its efforts on the four natural resource issues the USDA Forest Service Chief’s identified as threats to the National Forest System:  fire and fuels, invasive species, unmanaged recreation, and habitat fragmentation.  The NFF will accept applications from non-governmental, nonprofit organizations working on or adjacent to National Forests and Grasslands to address these threats in a collaborative way.  A complete transcript of the 2003 speech in which Chief Bosworth presented these issues is available via the NFF website. 

All grants awarded by the NFF require a cash match through non-federal donations.  Donations must be sent to the NFF for at least a 1:1 match ratio.  In-kind contributions and other federal funds may be noted to show leverage for a project, but cannot be matched by NFF funds.  No NFF funds may be returned to the USDA Forest Service or any other federal entity.  Projects must be completed within a year from project award date, and final project reports must be received no later than 30 days after the completion of the project.

Programmatic Emphasis:

Fire and Fuels:

Years of fire suppression, overstocked stands and drought have led to the severe fires of recent years on and around our public lands, destroying thousands of acres of forest, water reservoirs and wildlife habitat, and in many cases, gutting nearby homes.  Results of these wildfires include soil erosion, landslides, water pollution, habitat destruction, suppression of natural fire regimes, threats to community safety and loss of natural and economic resources. 

The NFF will make strategic investments in community-based forestry projects that work to mitigate the impact of devastating wildfire, as well as reduce the likelihood of further fire risk through fuels reduction and monitoring.  Local constituencies should be included in the decision-making process through ecological restoration activities and action-oriented training, conservation and restoration projects that address wildfire risk reduction and response through project activities such as:  

• Citizen-based monitoring and/or fuels reduction efforts, especially in the wildland/urban interface;
• Collaboratively developed and implemented fuel reduction projects;
• Collaborative efforts that focus on finding uses for fuel reduction material that will ultimately reduce the costs of projects;
• Fire recovery efforts, involving re-seeding, erosion control, and/or riparian restoration.

Invasive Species:

Invasive species, including both noxious weeds and non-native forest and rangeland pests, spread quickly and largely unchecked through new environments, displacing native species through competition, predation and parasitism.   The ecological effects of various invasives are devastating, and include native tree and plant mortality, loss of native animal habitat and decline of native species.

The NFF will make strategic investments in collaborative projects that address the damaging spread of invasive species on and around National Forests and Grasslands nationwide through project activities such as:

• Removal and control of noxious weeds;
• Citizen-based monitoring and GIS-mapping in areas of high infestation;
• Watershed health improvement through re-seeding of riparian areas with native species;
• Cultivation of native species for restoration use.

Unmanaged Recreation:

Recreation is the fastest growing use of National Forests and Grasslands.  The increase in visitor usage and encroaching development results in increased human impacts to ecosystems.  Maintaining the integrity of these forest and grassland resources is vital for both ecosystem viability and quality recreational experiences.   Through support of local restoration activities and citizen involvement, the NFF can help to manage recreation pressures and ease their effects on and adjacent to public lands, while providing economic benefits to the surrounding communities.

The NFF is interested in collaborative projects that address the rising demand for outdoor recreation in National Forests and Grasslands through projects activities such as:

• Collaborative efforts aimed at establishing shared agreements for motorized (OHV) and non-motorized users;

• Restoration of impacts of excessive or inappropriate use in sensitive areas;
• GIS mapping of user created trails and/or roads;
• Citizen-based monitoring of designated and closed areas.

Habitat Fragmentation:

A significant increase in development pressures, residential sprawl and subdivision has broken larger forest ecosystems into smaller, more isolated patches in several places across the U.S., posing serious threats to wildlife corridors, more structures in the wildland/urban interface, and a marked decrease in forested and open range land. 

The NFF is interested in collaborative projects that will address the issue of habitat fragmentation through project activities such as:

• Creation of buffer zones through planting of native species and/or re-routing of present routes;
• Local landowner education and assistance to implement voluntary conservation activities on private lands adjacent to national forests and grasslands;
• Protection of private inholdings in national forests or grasslands through donation or gifts of easements.*

*The NFF cannot provide funding for land acquisition

Who Can Apply:

Applications will be accepted from non-federal partners, community-based organizations, Native American tribes, and other nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.  Applications cannot be accepted from federal, state or county agencies. 

Selection Criteria:

Successful projects will:

1. Support on-the-ground, action oriented projects that proactively address the four threats identified by the Forest Service Chief.  Priority will be given to those projects that are designed and implemented collaboratively and that involve multiple facets of the local community.
2. Measurably improve the conditions of National Forests and Grasslands and/or benefits National Forests and Grasslands.
3. Have funding from non-federal contributions that equals the amount being requested from the NFF on at least a 1:1 basis.  In-kind contributions and other federal funds may be noted in the total project budget to demonstrate additional leverage.  A brief definition of types of funds is as follows:
   • Non-federal funds = dollars of non-federal origin for at least a 1:1 cash match with NFF funds
   • NFF funds = dollars awarded through NFF CYC, of federal origin, that must be matched with non-federal dollars before being released
   • In-kind contributions = Goods and services (such as volunteer labor, donated materials, and equipment) which are applied toward goals outlined in the project description but cannot be matched by NFF funds
   • Other federal funds = funds used to complete the project from other federal agencies which cannot be matched with NFF funds.
4. Benefit National Forests and Grasslands.  Projects can occur on or around Forest Service lands.  No NFF funds may be directed back to the USDA Forest Service.
5. Have multiple benefits to the resource base and involvement of surrounding communities, and the demonstrable means by which to measure project success.
6. Have a hands-on learning component which can be shared with resource managers and local communities to improve awareness and appreciation of the issues addressed by the project.
7. Demonstrate a commitment to, and a detailed plan for, community involvement/participation in the development and implementation of the project.   
8. Provide sufficient detail to enable the NFF and the Forest Service to evaluate the  design, specific activities and anticipated results of the project, its methods for evaluation, qualifications of the project manager, and the ability of the organization to complete the pr oject as described and within the anticipated timeframe.

The NFF MAP does not support projects that are seeking general operating support or cannot produce at least a 1:1 non-federal cash match.

Federal Matching Funds Requirements:

NFF funds awarded through this program can be disbursed only as a match to cash contributions from a non-federal source.  These federal matching funds:

• Must be used for the purpose of completing conservation projects on or adjacent to National Forest System lands.
• Cannot be used for general administrative purposes.
• Cannot be used to directly support Forest Service salary or personnel.  Neither NFF funds nor the non-federal match may be directed back to the Forest Service.

All non-federal matching funds and documentation of contributed goods and services must be sent directly to the NFF.  Once the non-federal contributions have been received and documented by the NFF, the grant recipient must submit an invoice (“Cash Request Form”) and non-federal documentation to the NFF in order for the NFF to release the non-federal cash and federal matching funds.  Cash Requests are processed on or about the 1st and 15th of every month, and the turnaround time for release is about two weeks.  The non-federal match can be submitted incrementally.

Application Process:

Applicants should submit seven copies of their proposal via mail to the NFF for receipt in the office by May 27, 2005.  Proposals must include the cover sheet (LINK TO COVOR SHEET PDF HERE) and a project narrative (maximum 8 pages) summarizing major objectives, methods, anticipated results, and a basic projected budget that indicates how NFF matching funds and non-federal funds will be used.  Proposals should include:

• What the project will accomplish on the ground and the demonstrable benefits the project would have.  Please list specific project objectives, particularly focusing on ecosystem restoration, and a means to measure accomplishment;
• Relevance of the proposed project to addressing the four threats, and how this work will be shared and continued after expenditure of grant funds;
• How the applicant plans to gain community input, involvement and support for the project;
• How the project contributes to the improvement of National Forests and Grasslands;
• How the project will be monitored and evaluated;
• A short description of the organization’s mission and past accomplishments, especially related to the work being proposed;
• A preliminary project budget, using both committed and anticipated non-federal funds;
• A letter of support from the Forest Service, preferably from the Forest Supervisor on the forest where the project takes place;
• A copy of the organizations 501©(3) letter confirming nonprofit status.

Applicants will be notified by e-mail when the proposal is received and processed.  The NFF will review all proposals and notify grant awardees within approximately six weeks. 

Click here to download a PDF of the cover sheet >>

Click here to download a WORD document of the cover sheet >>

Application Deadlines:

Proposals due in the NFF offices: May 27, 2005
Final selection decisions: June 2005

Contacts:

Alexandra Kenny, Director, Grants Programs, NFF
202-298-6740 ext 3 akenny@natlforests.org

Dan Hall, Project Associate/Office Manager, NFF
202-298-6740 ext 1 dhall@natlforests.org

Please mail seven copies of the application with the 501©(3) letter and Forest Service letter to:
Centennial Year Challenge
National Forest Foundation
2715 M Street NW, Ste. 100
Washington, DC 20007